Yet more military....

I was able to go out with Emily for a little while today for coffee while Amy watched over the children. In my current phase at tech school if I go off base I have to wear my service dress uniform. This presents me with a rather humbling/awkward situation. When you are in uniform everybody notices. And I notice them notice. It is not that everybody tries to show they notice, but it is easy to see their internal reactions to the sight of a military uniform. Some feel proud, some feel guilty, some feel jealous, some feel superior, some feel pity. Above all of this, some actually approach me and offer a hand shake and some sort of "thank you for your service" remark. In fact, I have yet to go out in public in uniform and not get thank several times.

If people are not randomly coming up to you and thanking you for something, there is no way for you to really get what this might feel like. I have yet to really get a handle on how I even feel about this whole dynamic, as I am still working through and learning how to feel patriotic myself. But I can say that it is incredibly humbling as well as a source for a strange and awkward strength and pride.

This is learning.

The Fretting may now discontinue...

And for all of you who thought I was just throwing a fit....HA!

I am officially no longer a civilian. For the next four years the Air Force will give me a chance to pay the government back a little for all the free food they have supplied us with.

I will now be checking to make sure that all of our friends and families are flying 'ole Glory... gloriously.

Gaaaawwwwd Bleese Thar EwwwwwEeeeeesssssAAAyyyyyyyyy!!!!